Process for the smelting of silver-nickel-cobalt-arsenic ores.



i of Canadian or other ores which contain, be-

there is 25per cent. of arsenic present, the

rrn erase are rare.

CAMILLO c. CITO, or IRVINGTON, NEW JERSEY.

PROCESS FOR THE SMELTING 0F SILVER-NICKEL-COBALT-ARSENIC ORES.

N 0 Drawing.

To all whom may concern:

lle it knoiin that I, CAnILLo CLEMENT Crro, a subject of the Grand Duke of Lux- 5 emburg'. residing at .Irvington, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in lroccs .S for'the Smelting of Silver- Nickel-Cobalt-Arsenic Ores. of which the following is a specification.

The invention is a process for the smelting sides silver, considerable quantities of nickel, cobalt, and especially arsenic. Generally, such ores run'as follows: silver 300 to'10,000 ounces to the ton; nickel and cobalt 10 to arsenic 5 to -10 1'; lead none.

In carrying out my process I proceed as follows: The ore is smelted in a ltVtI'bGP- atory furnace without any preliminary treatment, such as roasting, etc. I add to said ore a percei'ltage of-copper, preferably equal to two thirds of that of the nickel and cobalt and at least the same as that of the arsenic, and not less in amount than the silver. Thus I may put in 20 per cent. of copper, but if copper percentage should be increased to per cent. If the silver present amounts to a certain number of ounces per ton, the amountof copper should not be less. Besides the copper the necessary quantity of usual fluxes is to be added. Only two products result from the smelting operation 1. An alloy containing, besides copper, all the silver, nickel and cobalt, and nearly all the arsenic in the ore treated. This is tapped from the furnace directly into molds.

2. A slag containing a very low percentage of silver, nickel and cobalt.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 15, 1910.

Application filed October 13. 1909. Serial No. 522,476.

the last traces of the metals can be easily recovered.

It. is to he noted that I here smelt. silver-- nickel-cobalt-arsenic ore in the presence of copper only, (besides the usual fluxes) and that in this particular, my process differs essentially from other processes in which, instead of copper, lead is used, and whereby under normal conditions are produced lead, speiss, matte and slag, all of which products contain a larger or smaller amount of silver and hence require separate treatment.

I claim:

1. The process of smelting silver-nickelcobalt arsenic ore freefrom lead, which cousists in smelting said ore in the presence of copper.

2. The process of smelting silver-nickelcolnllt-arscnic ore free from lead, which consists in smelting s'aid ore in the presence of a percentage of copper at least the same as that of the arsenic, and

not. less in amount than the silver.

In testimony whereof I have aliixed my GERTRUDE T. PORTER, MAY T. MCGARRY. v 

